Photo by Ashly Nagrant

When I first heard about the Pittsburgh Visionary Art Festival, I was  excited. I love experimental and unusual art, and I was quite happy to see yet another opportunity for Pittsburgh artists to display their talents. However, after spending an afternoon browsing the tents and then an evening bustling about their Web site, I can’t deem the Festival a success.

Don’t get me wrong, the artwork itself was generally engaging. While it wasn’t always my sort of aesthetic, it for the most part showed the artists’ dedication to breaking new ground and finding some new way to depict the world as they saw it. Much of it was bold, and the art varied from print work to painting to sculpture and more. Some of it was extremely technical, some of it was found art. And there were a number of eye-catching pieces, such as the skeletal human frames in various situations and positions, including a trio made to look as if they were either sinking into the ground or climbing out of it.

But the art was not where I felt the festival was lacking. Rather, it was the general attitude of the artists.

Perusing the Web site, I came across the festival’s mission statement. And the first supposed goal, in bold lettering, is:

“To entertain, engage and enrich all of the city of Pittsburgh with a fun venue that promotes art in its widest and deepest sense.”

However, as my friend and I walked from booth to booth, we were, for lack of a better word, ignored. Many of the tents were unmanned, and the artists occupying those that were being watched didn’t utter a single word. We were not offered help, not encouraged to ask questions, not even quoted prices. Instead, we were given the distinct message of “I can see you looking at my art, but you are not worth my giving you the time of day.”

We did notice other guests being greeted warmly, however. It seemed the more “alternative” you were dressed or made-up, the more you were welcomed to the scene. The idea came across loud and clear: the idea was not to entertain, engage and enrich all of the city of Pittsburgh, it was to entertain, engage and enrich the artistic sector and screw anyone who didn’t fit that mold.

The air of pretension was palpable and rather off-putting. As I said, I was barely acknowledged, which sent a distinct message. This was not art for everyone, this was not meant to expose all of Pittsburgh to new forms of art. This was art by artists, for artists and everyone else wasn’t invited to their private art party.

And that is absolutely not what art is meant to be.

I firmly believe that art has the power to change the world, even to save it, but guess what? The other artists in your circle aren’t the people you need to get your message. They’re not the ones you need to save. It is the people you believe to be “outside” of your circle with whom you need to communicate. And if you are too busy asking your friends how they’ve been since graduation to turn to the girl in the slightly preppy outfit and say “Let me know if I can answer any questions for you?”, then you aren’t saving the world, you’re just splintering it more. And rather than making art more accessible, you’re doing your little part to keep it locked up behind a door marked “Artists only.”

Of course, according to the “About the VAF” page on your Web site, that might be just what you’re going for:

If you are looking to decorate the inside of your house, do not come to this event. If, by contrast, you are hoping to decorate the inside of your Self, do not miss The Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival. The work here presented is not eye candy. It does not have a hook to grab you. As a viewer you are encouraged instead to open your mind and actively engage in pursuing the deeper creative intent of the work.

Careful, folks. Your fly is down and your pretense is showing.